1. In Buddhism, how did the universe get created, and why does life exist?2. I understand many Buddhists are also atheists. How can powerful things such as karma and reincarnation exist without some powerful force maintaining them?3. What happens when you die?

edwhys211 wrote:1. In Buddhism, how did the universe get created, and why does life exist?2. I understand many Buddhists are also atheists. How can powerful things such as karma and reincarnation exist without some powerful force maintaining them?3. What happens when you die?

These type of questions are irrelevant in Buddhism. You might want to take a look at this link:

"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "--------------------------------------------"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation, Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "

edwhys211 wrote:1. In Buddhism, how did the universe get created, and why does life exist?2. I understand many Buddhists are also atheists. How can powerful things such as karma and reincarnation exist without some powerful force maintaining them?3. What happens when you die?

1- The Buddha didn't answer those questions.2- That's the same as asking how can the laws of physics exist without god.3- If you are not enlightened, you are reborn acording to your karma. If you are enlightened, the Buddha didn't give an answer saying that they exist after death, or that they do not exist after death, because the disciples would fall on either eternalism or nihilism.

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

1. In Buddhism, how did the universe get created, and why does life exist?

The universe has no beginning and no ending.It is inconceivable.Millions of world systems are born and destroyed.And it continues on and on.Life exist because if the conditions are right, then you have life.

2. I understand many Buddhists are also atheists. How can powerful things such as karma and reincarnation exist without some powerful force maintaining them?

Karma is a powerful force indeed.But it is also just a natural ""Cause and Effect Process".You don't need a God to pull down a pen when you drop it,just like you don't need a God to maintain karma.Why does a pen drop down? Because of the gravitational pull..There's nothing miraculous about it.One thing just causes another thing to happen.

In Newton's Law of Motion,Every Action has an Equal and Opposite Reaction. This applies to everything including the moral sphere.Everything around you is maintained and balanced by a perfect give and take equilibrium.

3. What happens when you die?

The 5 Aggregates dissolve.5 Aggregates is YOU*.The You as You know now are made up of these 5 things: 1.The Body2.Feelings3.Perceptions.4.Mental Fabrications.5.Consciousness.

But because Ignorance,Greed and Aversion still exists in the mind, it gives into craving and we get reborn.Because we are always craving.Even in death we crave a better place,a peaceful state or we crave to be away from things we fear.Why? because everyone wants to become something,wants to be safe from something,wants to find something,be something,regret something,numb something,runaway from something,..even in death there's always something..

I hope this helps

Last edited by Yana on Fri Nov 23, 2012 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.